With the man who shot their teenage son charged with second-degree murder, the parents of Trayvon Martin reflected on the investigation and explained what they would say to George Zimmerman if they were to speak with him face-to-face.

On NBC’s Today show, Trayvon’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, told Ann Curry that, “we just want him to be held accountable for what he’s done. By him not being arrested, that would not have been done. We are happy that he was arrested so that he can give his side of the story.”

Yesterday, a special prosecutor announced the charge, second-degree murder, which carries a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison. Zimmerman’s attorney is hoping his client can be granted bail.

Curry asked Martin’s parents what they would say to Zimmerman had they the opportunity to speak with him in person. Fulton said:

“One of the things that I still believe in, a person should apologize when they are actually remorseful for what they’ve done. I believe it was an accident. I believe that it just got out of control and he couldn’t turn the clock back. I would ask him, did he know that that was a minor, that that was a teenager, and that he did not have a weapon?”

When the couple was asked whether or not they felt that public pressure had forced the hand of the special prosecutor, Tracy Martin said that “had the Sanford police department did a thorough and impartial investigation from the beginning, George Zimmerman would’ve been locked up from day one and there wouldn’t have been such a huge public outcry for the arrest.”

Update: Clarifying her use of the word “accident” on the Today show, Sybrina Fulton later stated that “in NO way did I mean the shooting was an accident.” Zimmerman, she said, “stalked my son and murdered him in cold blood.” Her full statement, carried by MSNBC.com:

Earlier today, I made a comment to the media that was later mischaracterized. When I referenced the word ‘accident’ today with regard to Trayvon’s death, in NO way did I mean the shooting was an accident.

We believe that George Zimmerman stalked my son and murdered him in cold blood. The ‘accident’ I was referring to was the fact that George Zimmerman and my son ever crossed paths. It was an accidental encounter. If George Zimmerman hadn’t gotten out of his vehicle, this entire incident would have been avoided.

My son was profiled, followed and murdered by George Zimmerman, and there was nothing accidental about that.